Freelance Writers: Is Your Client Base Diversified Enough?

As you embark on your freelance career, the first and biggest obstacle you're going to face is how to build a client base. After months of research, interviewing successful freelancers in your field, and deciding the freelancer's world is really what you want, you've finally made the first step and started promoting yourself. With any luck, you'll build a customer list in a few short months. You my even garner the attention of a large company with a great deal of work on a consistent basis for you. Sounds great, right?

But as with all things, it's not that simple. Work done for a large conglomerate can take away from your marketing efforts, so no one will ever discover what a great business you have. Smaller clients get left in the wake, feeling neglected. Then what happens when that big company (along with its big paychecks) gets bought out by another force-one who has no use for independent contractors? On a similar note, working for your old boss as an independent contractor can have the same consequences; just because it might be "easier" to start that way, limiting yourself to one major client can have disastrous results.

Granted, when you first start your business, your entire client base may consist of only one or two consistent customers, so obviously those clients will make up the majority of your monthly paycheck. To start with, this isn't such a bad thing, but within the first year of your company's operation you should make sure you're no longer relying solely on those customers. Like a diverse portfolio, a diverse client base can only help you on the long run.

The biggest problem that faces many freelancers when first starting out is the tendency to turn their newfound freedom into an excuse to slack off. Working almost exclusively for a large company can easily feed into this false sense of security, and lead to other issues in your freelance career. Once that company goes under or is bought out, that false security can come crashing down and hit you where it hurts-your wallet.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with working for a major company; it's a great addition to your resume, and can be financially lucrative for both parties. Just don't let it take over and consume all of your efforts, making you dependent on them for the success of your business. You may find yourself back in that nine-to-five job in a heartbeat, after spending so much effort getting away from if you don't diversify your client base. Branch out your regular customer base as soon as possible, and you'll be able to avoid this major pitfall in your career.